by Dana Davis
“Bridgette Kelly McDougal. Watch your mouth.”
“Mom, I know who it is. Shit.” She turned to Jay, who had a worried look in his face now. “It’s Simon.” My own personal siren. The one she had escaped from in California. The one she and Daisy had sent back to his island just a few months ago. He can’t get to me or Daisy now so he goes after our friends? Son of a bitch.
Jay’s eyes grew wide then he frowned. “I’ll kill the bastard.”
“Get in line.” A male siren couldn’t affect other males but Bridgette had special plans for Simon now.
Her mother’s gaze bored into her. “What’s this about, young lady?”
She’s gonna go ballistic. She licked her lips as her mouth went dry. Oh, come on, Bridgette. You’re a grown woman, a witch in fact, and you’re afraid of telling your mommy about a little siren incident?
“Bridgette Kelly. You’d better tell me what’s going on.”
“Okay, okay. Remember when I was living in California?”
Her mother’s eyes narrowed as she sat in one of Kali’s chairs and massaged her calf above the cast. “How could I forget?” She leaned back and propped the crutches against her leg. “You didn’t call me as often as you should have.”
Just have to go there, don’t you, Mom? So glad she’s not a telepath. “Well, what you don’t know is part of the time I was being held there. By Simon.”
“The man who took Kali? What do you mean held? Was he abusing you?”
Not exactly. The kinky bastard made me think I wanted him. And I did. Boy, did I ever want him. In the morning, afternoon, evening. Whenever. That was how it worked. The victim didn’t realize she was under a siren’s thrall. Paranormals were harder to put under than mortals. But the bastard caught me off guard. “He’s a siren.”
Her mother grunted. “You expect me to believe that?” When Bridgette and Jay offered sobering looks, she cursed and her eyes softened. “Are you all right, baby?”
“I’m fine, Mom. But Kali’s not.”
“How do you know it’s him?”
“That scarf in the vision. He – um – we used it.” A lot. Visions of the things Simon and she had done flitted through her head and she shoved them away, along with most of her libido. For now, anyway. Thankfully, her mother seemed to understand and she didn’t have to explain further. I’m not a prude when it comes to sex. But I really don’t want to describe my kinky bedroom life with Simon to my mommy.
Had she been younger, that knowing gaze would’ve made Bridgette squirm. “Does he still have it?”
“What? Oh, yes. Carries it with him.” Like a fucking trophy, probably. Who knows how many women he’s used it with?
“Then let’s do a locator spell.”
That’s right! There’s no spell to find the location of people but we can sure as hell find things. Why didn’t I think of that? Because your brain still goes MIA when you think about Simon. Damn, he was a fabulous lover.
A witch of Bridgette’s caliber didn’t need magick books for a locator spell. She knew it by heart, and since she had a connection to Simon, she would cast it. Before she chanted, she envisioned Simon handling the scarf, putting as much detail as she could remember, which almost sent her mind wandering back to the kinky stuff they’d done. Almost. Kali’s in trouble. Concentrate. Once she had her wits again, she chanted the spell. After a moment, her vision tunneled and an image flashed in her mind.
She blinked it away to clear her vision and her mouth went dry. “Shit, shit, shit.”
A gentle hand landed on Bridgette’s shoulder. “Where’s is he, baby? Where did he take Kali?”
She turned a horrified face to her mother. “Daisy’s.” She pressed in Scarlet’s cell number as she fled the building with the others on her tail, barely hearing her mother’s lock spell. Pick up, damnit.
“Hello?”
“Scarlet. Is Daisy okay?”
“She’s sleeping. Why? What’s wrong?”
Bridgette gave the medium the Cliff’s Notes version and told her not to wake Daisy unless it was absolutely necessary. “We’re on our way over.” Simon can’t get to her. She knows about him, remember? But he’s got Kali now. His own personal reverse empath.
Jay went with Bridgette to her convertible and climbed in. They could get there the fastest. She fumbled with the key a moment before getting it into the ignition. “Come on.” Tires spun as she put the car into gear with her foot already on the gas pedal.
“Be careful!” her mother called as Bridgette sped off.
She didn’t even bother to acknowledge the woman.
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* * * *
Chapter 14
Pretty Tied Up
Daisy opened her eyes to a darkened room. The shutters were closed and she heard Noah snore lightly. The bedside clocks and nightlight from the attached bathroom allowed her to see shapes and shadows but she didn’t see anything out of the ordinary.
Something woke me. I’m sure of it.
She rubbed at her gritty eyes and yawned. Careful not to wake her husband, she slipped out of bed and pulled on her pajama bottoms. The cold tile beneath her feet reminded her to put on her slippers. She ignored her covered dresser mirror, not wanting to think what might be lurking behind the glass, as she walked quietly to the bedroom door.
Perky lifted his head and she whispered, “Stay.” He curled up on his pillow. “Good boy.” Noah stirred and she froze. Once she heard his heavy breathing, she stepped into the hallway and closed the door softly behind her. Light coming from beneath the guestroom door caught her attention. That’s when she heard Scarlet talking to someone.
Is she still on the phone? That’s gotta be what woke me. Well, I’m up and I’m thirsty so I might as well get something. She padded into the family room and made a beeline for the kitchen. Lights from the stove and microwave clocks cast dim shadows. It was close to midnight now.
She took a glass from the cabinet and reached for the fridge door. A light knock on the security screen door caused her to jump. A surge of adrenaline filled her. Damnit. Who the hell is it at this hour? She strained her ears but didn’t hear Perky bark. Good dog. Bridgette and Kali, I bet. Maybe they found Liam.
Another light knock. If no one answered, Bridgette would spell the door open and might wake Perky and Noah, so Daisy hurried into the front room, flipping on the light as she passed the switch.
The brightness caused her to squint but she ignored it and turned on the porch light before quietly opened the inner door. She kept a trussing spell ready, just in case it wasn’t Bridgette, but she saw no one as she peered through the security screen.
That’s strange. Kids maybe? But ding-dong ditchers usually ring the bell. Unless it’s broken. But that was unlikely. Then her sleepy brain finally caught up. It’s a damn ghost. Has to be.
Just as she closed the inner door, another light knock sounded on the metal security screen.
She quietly pulled open the door again, ready to berate the ghost. Instead, she looked through the screen at a tall Asian woman. “Kali.” Relief filled her. “Thank the universe. You about gave me a heart attack.” She reached for the key that hung on the wall and unlocked the security screen to let the necro inside. “Come in. Where’s Bridgette?” Kali didn’t say anything as she stepped into the house, and Daisy turned to watch her. “You okay?” She put a hand on the taller woman’s arm. “Kali? What’s wrong? Are you hurt?”
“She’s fine.” A man’s voice. Heavy and seductive.
The front door clicked shut behind her and she spun around to see a tall, beautiful man with dark hair and an immaculate tan smiling at her. “Simon.” Her heart raced like a greyhound. “What the hell—”
“Daisy! Get away from him!” Scarlet yelled from behind her.
But it was too late. An intense sense of fear came over her and she cowered in the corner next to one of Noah’s pinball machines. She barely heard Perky’s frantic barks coming from the master bedroom.
* *
* *
I’ll kill that son of a bitch if he hurts Daisy. Bridgette’s heart sped as fast as her car as she raced to Daisy’s house. Streetlights flashed like a strobe light as she sped by.
Simon couldn’t put Daisy under his siren spell because she knew about him. But he had Kali now and could make the necro do whatever he wanted. Bridgette had warned those around her, but even a paranormal could get caught unawares, especially since the idiot siren had been sent back to his island and they thought the threat was gone. Besides, Kali hadn’t met Simon and had no idea what he looked like. An unsuspecting paranormal was almost as vulnerable as a mortal woman when it came to sirens.
Why didn’t I ever get a picture of him? Because I didn’t think the fucker would have the balls to come back here. Well, I’m not gonna make that mistake twice.
With the kind of fear Bridgette had experienced earlier, Daisy would be one helpless witch. Especially since Noah and Scarlet had no active powers. And none of them have my telepathic instincts.
“Watch out!” Jay cried.
Bridgette cursed as she slammed on her brakes to keep from hitting a car that pulled out from a side street and made a left in front of her. “Idiot!” She couldn’t see who was driving but she guessed a teenager from the way the car spun tires as it raced in the opposite direction. If she wasn’t in such a damn hurry, she’d cast a cease spell on the kid’s motor.
Jay swiveled in his seat to look behind them. “That was fucking close. You might want to slow down just a tad.”
She drove a bit slower and let a chink out of her mental wall to sense anyone else that might surprise them. She managed to make it through the next light as it turned red. Most of the streets in North Scottsdale were empty this time of night. No police cars, either, thankfully. She could spell her way out of a ticket but they didn’t need any delays.
Two more lights and she made a right turn into Daisy’s sprawling neighborhood. Time seemed to be passing too slow. Come on, come on.
The lights on this street stayed green, unless cross traffic triggered them. A couple of blocks in, a right turn, a few more blocks. Finally she reached Daisy’s street. She saw Jay lean into the turn, which she took a bit fast. Several houses later, the car lurched as she stopped hard in front of Daisy’s house and threw it into park. Other than Scarlet’s car in the driveway, Bridgette didn’t see anything out of the ordinary.
She and Jay jumped out and raced to the door, and she had to push Jay’s fear away before she got a brief whisper of thoughts from inside the house. That she couldn’t make out the thoughts meant Daisy or someone else could be seriously injured, so she didn’t bother to ring the bell. She was about to utter an unlock spell, when Jay tried the security screen. It opened.
That’s not good. Daisy always locks it. And why isn’t that stupid dog of hers barking? Shit, shit, shit.
The main door was also unlocked so she opened it and kept a trussing spell ready. The lights were off inside but the streetlight filtered in through the shutters. The front room was empty, except for Noah’s pinball machines. The thoughts she heard came from somewhere inside the house. She was sure of that. Jay pressed in behind her and she heard the security screen then the front door quietly click shut.
I can’t tell if I’m hearing Scarlet, Noah, or Daisy’s thoughts. Damnit! They’re not clear enough. Are they hurt? This is bad. Where are you, Simon? You fucker.
Jay snagged an umbrella from a nearby basket, a vintage type that didn’t fold, and held it in front of him like a weapon.
Bridgette eyed him. “What, no gun?”
“Didn’t bring one. Sorry.”
Some paranormals liked having mortal means of protection, especially in Arizona. Jay might not have a gun, but Bridgette would wager her best designer shoes his mother, Fay, was packing all the time.
Only she’s not here yet. She held her breath as she crept through the kitchen and into the family room with Jay pressed close. Perky should have heard them by now but the place was eerily quiet. Disturbing images of possible scenarios filled Bridgette’s mind and she forced them away. Don’t borrow trouble. Just find them. The refrigerator kicked on and sent her heart scampering. She took in a long breath to try and calm her nerves. And you’ll be no good to anyone if you’re so damn jumpy you can’t even cast a spell.
As they headed into the hall, Jay gave her arm an urgent squeeze and pointed. Someone lay just inside the office doorway, bare feet sticking out into the hall, illuminated by a nightlight. Scarlet. Bridgette heard faint thoughts from the woman. Scarlet was alive.
A wave of relief surged through her when the medium groaned. She leaned close to Scarlet’s ear and kept her voice as low as possible. “Shh. It’s Bridgette. Try to keep quiet. I have to find Daisy.”
Scarlet blinked and focused on her but she didn’t move any more than that. A trussing spell. Shit, that means Simon has Daisy. Probably threatened to hurt Kali to make her truss Scarlet like that.
Fear colored Scarlet’s dark eyes. It took a lot to scare the medium but a trussing spell could panic even the most stalwart. No one liked being totally helpless. I can’t move! That thought came in clearer now that Scarlet was conscious.
“It’ll wear off in a few minutes. Just stay quiet.” Bridgette glanced at Jay, who just finished checking the guestroom and hall bath. He shook his head. She leaned down to Scarlet again. She could still hear whispers but had no idea which direction they came from. “Are you hurt? Just think the answer. I’ll hear it.”
I’ll be okay.
“Where’re Daisy and Noah?”
I don’t know.
Bridgette placed a brief hand on Scarlet’s arm then stood. She and Jay headed toward the master bedroom. The door stood open and she kept a trussing spell ready as she stood in the doorway and peered around the room. A witch could only truss one person at a time so she motioned for Jay to be ready with the umbrella. At least it’s got a pointy metal end.
The glow from a nightlight in the master bath was the only illumination besides the bedside clocks. The king-size bed was empty. Perky’s too. Jay crossed into the bathroom and came out shaking his head.
Someone else is here, damnit. I can still hear whispers. Sudden thoughts came at her in a rush, startled, afraid, and she focused her mind to separate them.
Bridgette, get out! It’s not safe! Daisy’s mental voice.
Where are you? Bridgette almost smacked herself in the forehead. She’s not telepathic, stupid. And she didn’t dare call out vocally. She took solace in the fact that her cousin was still alive and conscious. But where? Damnit, Daisy. Where the fuck are you?
She was about to leave the master bedroom when she noticed the closet door was shut. She pointed and Jay nodded. Her hands trembled as she took steps toward the closet. Bridgette flipped on the closet light switch as Jay turned the knob and gave the door a quick push with the umbrella.
Daisy’s mind touched hers again and she turned back, nearly running into Jay. Fear slammed into her, making her hesitate, just as someone whispered out loud. Before she could do or say anything else, her body froze, her limbs became paralyzed, and she toppled over. She hit the tile floor, hard, and landed on her stomach with her eyes facing the doorway to the hall. Jay fell beside her, with what felt like his landing on her thigh, and she heard him grunt. At least the fear was gone now.
Her head hurt where it had hit the tile but she ignored the pain. It took only seconds before she realized someone had cast a trussing spell on her. Daisy! Has to be. But why? I could’ve helped her. She opened her senses again but got nothing. Her telepathy was trussed, as well. Damnit it all to hell! From Jay’s lack of movement beside her, she realized someone had trussed him too. Well that’s a fine cherry on this fucking cake. Three of us trussed and helpless. That means there are other witches in the house. She tried to speak but the only sound she could make was a grunt.
Trussing spells allowed vital organs to function, along with swallowing, grunting and eye movement, but that w
as it. A witch couldn’t cast a spell without saying the words out loud so Bridgette had no way of protecting herself now, much less Daisy and the others. And my telepathy’s not worth shit, either.
Someone flipped on the hall light and it illuminated most of the bedroom. Booted feet stepped into her line of sight. They didn’t belong to Daisy. The person crouched and put his face in her view.
Simon. When I get out of this trussing, so help me I’m gonna kick your sorry ass straight into the ocean. Might even add some cement slippers just for the hell of it.
He touched her and her mind slammed back to the days in California when he’d kept her under his thrall and done some kinky, and very effective, things with her in his apartment. He’s still so damn delicious. Oh, stop it, Bridgette. Get a fucking hold on yourself. He’s a siren. The only reason you’re attracted to him. Well, not the only reason. He’s one handsome son of a bitch and a fabulous lover.
Any attraction she had for him was purely physical, remnants of her time under his thrall. Or so she kept telling herself. He can’t put you under again so get your fucking head on straight and concentrate. Thankfully, Simon’s powers didn’t work on her anymore and she shoved her sudden lust away.
Besides, sirens could only put one victim under at a time and right now Simon had Kali. I’m sure of it. That would also explain the hard-to-read thoughts she got from them both. When a siren had someone under thrall, he and the victim were harder to read.
Bridgette couldn’t see anyone else in her immediate view so she tried to move again, with no luck. Simon smoothed her hair back from her face and placed a very erotic kiss on her earlobe. Even though his touch sent a spark of lust through her again, she grunted her displeasure. You son of a bitch!
“Leave her,” a woman said in a raspy voice. Had to be another witch. “Let’s go.”
Simon smiled and moved from her view so that all she saw were boots again. Her heart raced as five pairs of feet left the room. As they drew farther down the hallway, she got a better look at them. A tall woman she didn’t recognize had Noah by the arm. Probably the witch that had spoken earlier. Simon led Kali, her arm hooked in his. Daisy followed last, wearing shoes she must’ve bought recently because Bridgette hadn’t recognized them.